Craving the Comfort of Egg Foo Young

They say the cure for those long, lazy, rainy days of summer is a taste of your favorite comfort food, whatever that is. For us, it is that simple Chinese American classic – the ultimate comfort food – Egg Foo Young. What could be more comforting than fried eggs or an omelet, Cantonese style?

Egg Foo Young looks so much like a Western-style omelet, but that is where the similarities end. This simple egg dish is a creation of two cultures and prepared differently. 

We visited KJ Sushi and Asian Bistro with the intent of only ordering Egg Foo Young for lunch. We kept it simple. I ordered Egg Foo Young with chicken for protein with white rice and brown savory gravy on the side. My husband Charlie ordered Vegetable Egg Foo Young, white rice, and brown savory gravy on the side. 

There is a very interesting legend about Egg Foo Young as it used to be called ‘lotus egg’ (Foo Young means lotus in Cantonese) and the name stuck until today. It was believed to have been invented by a scholar in the Ching Dynasty in the 18th century, and his egg dish looked so beautiful that it was described as resembling a beautiful lotus flower.

You can add any protein to the omelet such as barbecue pork or ham, or you can use any leftover meat. You can also use shrimp and for the crunchies, traditionally bean sprouts and onions are used to replace fresh bamboo shoots (not canned), which are not easy to find. 

My husband’s vegetable Egg Foo Young had diced celery, tomatoes, peppers, and carrots, which was more of a ‘western style Egg Foo Young’ as you will usually not find ingredients such as portobello mushrooms, red peppers, or tomatoes (Chinese might use shiitake – but that is more Japanese and it is expensive). Onions and chives are traditional Egg Foo Young ingredients.

In the Chinese preparation the Chinese will only use vegetable oil to prepare Egg Foo Young. But can use peanut oil or sesame seed oil – western style will use butter, though this is not as crucial. The omelet is pan-fried till golden brown on the surface, which to Western methods, might be considered overcooked. The perfect Egg Foo Young is golden brown and the ‘egg pancake’ is tender, fluffy, and aromatic.

I usually cook mine in a wok pan, mixing all the ingredients (eggs, crunchy onion slices and crunchy bean sprouts) until the egg mixture is fluffy and golden brown.

Usually, if a protein is added, it is suggested that you stir fry it first before adding it to the beaten egg mixture.

Do you serve Egg Foo Young with or without brown gravy? Chinese style, and if you were accustomed to Southeast Asian Egg Foo Young, is not served with brown gravy, preferring to drizzle a light soy sauce. Egg Foo Young is tasty enough without the gravy.

My husband’s taste is more the American Chinese version with brown gravy. It is usually prepared with chicken broth, soy sauce and cornstarch to thicken the gravy.

We both enjoyed the two versions; the egg omelet was prepared just right, and the filling enhanced the aroma of the eggs. It satisfied our cravings for the ultimate Asian comfort food – Egg Foo Young.

We eat with our eyes and high marks on the presentation of this simple dish, and yes, you can eat the orchid garnish! 

KJ Sushi and Asian Bistro’s friendly servers Adelina Cuevas, Jacky Cuevas, and sushi expert Alex Coy made sure that we will be back again. Next time, we plan to try the other Chinese classics on the menu, such as Moo Goo Gai Pan – a Cantonese dish with chicken sautéed with mushrooms, vegetables and spices. 

The Fortune Cookie foretold, “Your friend will be a source of inspiration.”